During of the War of 1812, British troops ransacked the White House and made off with valuables that were never returned. Two centuries later, a British curator finds a vital clue to the long-vanished loot. Within hours, the curator is assassinated—and Ayesha Ryder, a Palestinian-born antiquities expert, is expertly framed for his murder.

Who could be behind such a conspiracy? And why do they want Ryder out of the way? To find out, she picks up a trail leading from a mysterious nineteenth-century letter to the upcoming presidential election. As Ryder dodges killers in the shadow of hidden alliances, sexual blackmail, and international power plays, she finds that all roads lead to the Middle East, where a fragile peace agreement threatens to unravel . . . and another mystery begs to be discovered.

Ryder’s rarefied academic career and her violent past are about to collide. And her only hope of survival is to confront a powerful secret agent who has been waiting for one thing: the chance to kill Ayesha Ryder with his own two hands. (Summary and book cover courtesy of goodreads.com)

Review:

I initially had trouble getting into the book. The characters that drew me in were not the main ones and I struggled to relate to them. That being said, the last third of the book, I was completely consumed and read it in one sitting without interruption. I was a little disappointed that after Ayesha found A SPOILER we didn’t have more time to see her reaction and follow up with it, but the events that happened afterward were a bit of a bonus. I thought the story was going to end, but there was much more!

I enjoyed that there were a lot of twists and turns in the plot. There were definitely some things in the book I didn’t see coming and that kept it interesting. I think devotee mystery readers will LOVE this book; it just wasn’t the perfect book for me.

Warning: Contains violence and some sexual content

Please note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review courtesy of TLC Book Tours.

Rating: 3 stars!

Who should read it? Mystery fans looking for a Dan Brown inspired story